Top 5 Best TV Series of 2025 — According to IMDb. Hits from Amazon, Disney and Apple

What everyone's talking about and what's definitely worth watching this summer.

IMDb viewers have already picked their favorites — voting results reveal the best international series from the first half of 2025. The rankings include both fresh hits and beloved returning shows with new seasons.

I've selected the 5 most compelling ones — the absolute must-watches you can't afford to miss.

"When Life Gives You Tangerines" (Netflix, South Korea)

A gentle, heartfelt, touching story about the life of Ae Sun, a poor girl from Jeju Island who dreams of becoming a poet, and Kwan Sik, who loves her and stays by her side throughout life.

Comparisons to the cult classic "Reply 1988" aren't accidental — there's the same warmth, attention to detail, and deeply developed characters.
A guy in a brown blazer with a tie stands next to a girl in a yellow-green dress with a red headscarf
Scene from "When Life Gives You Tangerines"
Source:
Lee Ji-eun and Park Bo-gum slip perfectly into their roles, while director Kim Won-seok crafted genuine Korean "small-scale epic cinema" that snagged four Baeksang Awards.

"Invincible" (Amazon Prime Video, USA)

The third season of this superhero animated series (which ran from February to March 2025) is back in the top spots. And rightfully so. The story of Mark Grayson, son of Earth's most powerful superhero, continues to hook viewers with unexpected depth.

This isn't just battles and flying — it's coming-of-age, responsibility, and moral dilemmas served through a sci-fi lens. Voice cast includes Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons.
A guy in a blue and yellow superhero costume with white goggles is flying and screaming
Scene from "Invincible"
Source:
The visuals are vibrant, the plot hits hard, and the twists are genuine gut punches (literally, since there's plenty of fighting). One of the most stylish animated series in recent years.

"Andor" (Disney+, USA)

A Star Wars universe series that's not about Jedi, but about ordinary people.

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a small-time thief, gets pulled into the fight against the Empire during the formation of the Resistance. The plot unfolds over five years leading up to the events of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016).
Actor Diego Luna in black clothing inside a spaceship with a dark gray robot nearby
Scene from "Andor"
Source:
This is Star Wars for grown-ups, and it absolutely works.

"Severance" (Apple TV+, USA)

What if you could split your memory in half — so your work self knows nothing about your personal life, and your personal self knows nothing about work?

Lumon Corporation implements this technology, and Mark (Adam Scott) finds himself torn between two realities. A stylish, unsettling, hypnotic thriller about how work can consume everything.
Actor Adam Scott in a classic suit walks down a white hallway holding blue balloons
Scene from "Severance"
Source:
14 Emmy nominations, direction by Ben Stiller, and the disturbing feeling that we're already trapped in this system ourselves. One of the most unusual series in recent years.

"Department Q" (BBC, UK)

A British detective series directed by Scott Frank, starring Matthew Goode as the cold and traumatized detective Carl Mørck.
Two men in gray jackets standing next to a red car
Scene from "Department Q"
Source:
After a tragedy, he descends into the basement — literally and metaphorically — to work on cold cases. He's joined by a former Syrian police officer, and together they crack a case no one could solve.

Subtle atmosphere, psychological drama, and dark aesthetics in the spirit of the best Scandinavian noir. Earlier on zoomboola.com, we told you about six movies that men secretly watch behind their wives' backs.